Monday, February 25, 2013

We spent the last weekend having a blast at the first inaugural QuiltCon. Lucky for us, it was in our own backyard so we didn't have to travel too far! QuiltCon, a conference celebrating modern quilting, was presented by the Modern Quilt Guild in Austin, Texas. The four-day conference consisted of a quilt show filled with vendor booths, lectures by industry leaders and workshops taught by creative and talented professionals in the quilting industry. Four days filled with modern quilty fun!

We posted a video recap of the event and added a bunch of photos from the show to Flickr and Facebook. Poke around, it will feel like you were there with us!

Welcome to QuiltCon!

The Moda Bake Shop booth.

Sweet treats at the Moda Bake Shop Booth.

The Moda Bake Shop booth, filled with yummy recipes.

The Robert Kaufman booth.

Bright quilts and eye catching bunting in the Robert Kaufman booth.

Kona Solid Hexagons in the crafting section of the Robert Kaufman booth.

Get cozy in the Michael Miller booth, filled with posh couches and snacks.

Throughout the weekend, we saw inspiring quilts and heard lectures from the brightest minds in modern quilting. The show was filled with quilts, entered in different categories like Large Applique and Minimalist Design – Large Quilts, which we sponsored. Each quilt was well crafted and well designed.

The lectures all centered around modern quilting but highly varied in theme. From Quilt Guilds as Nonprofits to Publishing your Work in Magazines to All About Fabric Design, the lectures thoroughly covered all areas of modern quilting. The keynote, by Denyse Schmidt, followed her life and career and we left inspired. If you weren't able to attend the lectures, be sure to check out Craftsy's QuiltCon Lecture Series and watch the featured lectures for free!

The weekend left us filled with ideas and anxiously awaiting the next QuiltCon! Did you attend this year? What did you think of the conference? If not, will you attend the next event? Let us know in the comments below to win a bag of swag from the event! We are giving away a Robert Kaufman tote, five Andover charm packs and autographs from Amy and David Butler.

UPDATE: The bag of swag winner is This Dog's Mom! Please send your full shipping address to chelsey[at]fatquartershop[dot]com to claim your prize! Thanks for playing, everyone!

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comments:

No, I couldn't attend this year ! IT would a dream for a chance to attend next year especially if the finances are set AND if I don't spend all of my mad quilt money on other creative projects like you just listed. Cheers!

It's great that there's a show geared towards modern quilting. And thanks for sharing pictures of the quilts! I really liked the 3rd place winner "Retro Modern Shapes". It's unlikely I'll get a chance to attend next year myself, but I enjoy looking through all the eye candy!

Looks like you had a blast from all the pics I saw posted from QuiltCon. I didn't attend due to distance as well as still learning. I would love to attend at some point and maybe it will be close enough to me one day to attend. Thanks for the chance to win a bag of swag from the event!

Oh, I badly wanted to go! I think it's such an important event, a big move for modern quilting/-ers. Maybe next year. I wish I could BUY a charm pack of the Pearl Bracelets like you are giving away! Maybe I will get lucky. :)

I didn't attend this year. Tha tis not in my budget to be able to go to these types of events. But I really do wish I could attend all of these. It looks like such an awesoem place to be with so many creative people & quilts and new products. conn_and_vans_mom(at)yahoo(dot)com

I attended, and it was very well organized and tons of fun! The quilts displayed were amazing to see in person after seeing some of them on blogs. My only disappointment was reading that it will only recur every other year. Fantastic!

I did not attend in person but by Instagram! I really got the sense of a well run show that really catered to the individual quilter. The workshops looked amazing! I loved the personal touches like the ribbons, swag bags, photo booths etc that really reflected the fun creative and colorful side of modern quilters! I loved that front and center everywhere were the charity quilts that contained blocks from everywhere. I especially loved how one of my blocks literally hung over the head of every fabulous lecturer! I just wish I could have been there with my quilt. But the many pictures people posted of it let me see how wonderfully it was displayed. In a previous traditional quilt show my quilt was hanging 1/3 laying onthe floor! But thanks to instagram and some prolific and a little racy photog quilters I almost felt like I was there. I just need the swag!

i didn't attend this year, but anxiously watched several of my favorite blogs for updates and ideas. would love if a publication came out of all the beautiful work!! look forward to seeing dates for the next opportunities. i'd love to win some of the beautiful fabrics!

I wasn't able to attend due to the distance and my finances. I am hoping it will come closer some day and then maybe I can go. I sure have enjoyed on the pictures and comments on different blogs related to it.

I did not get to attend. I teach first grade and so don't get to attend things like that, since they always seem to be when I am working. Maybe when I retire, I can go to the shows and attend my quilt guild meetings!

I did not get to attend. I teach first grade and so don't get to attend things like that, since they always seem to be when I am working. Maybe when I retire, I can go to the shows and attend my quilt guild meetings!

I would love to be able to go to something like this. It's so hard to save up my money, though, when you have such cute things in your shop! I am really glad that Craftsy has put some of the lectures up for everyone to see. And I've loved seeing all the blog posts written since people have returned home.

I got to go, but only to the show. Really wished I had taken a workshop or two though. It was my first quilt show/conference and I absolutely LOVED it! I cannot wait until 2015 when QuiltCon will be back!

I did not get to attend, but I followed along on Twitter and Instgram. If I have a job (and therefore the extra $$$) in 2015, I won't be able to get off work (school schedule). If I don't have a job, then no $$$. What a vicious cycle :-(

I did attend. That was my retirement gift to myself. It was wonderful. I loved my classes, the lectures were great, the vendors well stocked, and the sponsors very generous. I hope to attend the next one, too. I'll have to figure out what my excuse will be.

Some friends from my MQG got to go and I look forward to their reports. I hope to go some day. I would LOVE to win a prize! :) I am a new quilter, just one year, so getting new fabrics and toys would be great fun! :)

I'm in Canada so need to plan ahead a bit but would love to go to Quilt Con one day. It is still very inspiring though with all of the photos and quilts! Thanks for posting so many, I love seeing them!!

How exciting to attend! Wish I could have been there, but unfortunately, live too far away. Really enjoyed looking at the photos on your blog and getting inspired by the beautiful quilts. QuiltCon looks like a quilting paradise! Would love to have a bag of swag from there!!! Thanks so much for sharing.

I went, and I loved it! It was such an inspiring weekend, and I met some great people. My husband, daughter, and I had enough frequent flyer miles for three round-trip tickets, so we turned it in to a family vacation.

I wasn't able to attend this year because of our 10 month old baby girl. I am hoping to attend next year, but will also have a new six month old at that time. I love Austin and I am so inspired by the pics you have posted. My family may have to kiss me goodbye as I get to working on new projects!

I didn't get to go this year because I'm taking a trip to SC to surprise my mom for Mother's Day this year. Next year, for sure!!! At least that's the plan :) Love seeing all the pics! Thanks for sharing.

I wasn't able to go but I feel like I was there! I was constantly on Instagram waiting for new #quiltcon pictures to come up from bloggers that I follow. I hope the next one is in Austin again because I will be going for sure! My husband has orders to Fort Hood (we are coming home Texas!) in August and Austin is only a 45 minute drive. I was so inspired by all of the pictures of the quilts I saw and I wish I could have been there to listen and learn from the lectures, meet some of my quilting idols, and meet ya'll! I seriously can't wait to get back to Texas!

I didn't get to go and but I haven't given up hope since my husband is kind of fond of Austin - if not, I do like to take solo road trips sometimes so I think Austin 2015 just might be a pipe dream worth having!

I did not attend the conference...the hard part is sometimes knowing your schedule so far ahead and being willing to miss important kid/school functions if they end up on the same day? I like some of the dates for the SewDowns, especially the ones at the beginning of the school year - not so many conflicts. Thanks for sharing all the photos.

I did not attend this year but I would love to next year. I just started quilting in December. I didn't even know that modern quilting existed before I started the research for my new hobby. Now I am hooked. I have made three quilts and 5 mug rugs. I have been an occasional sewer since the 70s. Made a nine patch quilt top in traditional fabrics in the 90s but just didn't feel it and could never get the motivation to quilt it. Now that I found my style I can't stop sewing.

I'd love to attend, but I did not this year because we don't have school holidays. I can only make it to QuiltCon if German school holidays fall together with QuiltCon week. Wish me luck for next year!

I wasn't able to attend, in fact, I've never attended a big quilt show, only smaller, local ones. Just looking at those delicious booths is overwhelming...it's making me drool! Thanks for sharing your adventure with those who couldn't make it!

I wish I could have gone and one day I will!! My favourite thing has been seeing all of the great quilt photos on various blogs and the fact that everyone who went has said what a great event it was. I have no idea how the judges choose a winner because all the quilts I have seen photos of have been beautiful x

I didn't find out about this one until about a month ago, and couldn't get out there. But my mom and I are definitely planning on a road trip from GA to go next year! Looks awesome. Thank you for sharing!!

I didn't attend this year. I would love to attend but most likely can not afford to travel. I do enjoy the posts from the ones who are lucky enough to go. It makes me feel like I am almost there. Thank you and thanks for the chance to win some wonderful gifts. Love Love Love the tote.Shawn

I didn't get to attend this year. Quite a few people from my guild (PMQG) attended and I've heard nothing but great things about the event! I would definitely attend the next QuiltCon! It's in 2015 right!? Thanks for the great giveaway ~ it's really generous!

I did not go nor will I probably get there next year. Some us have to be armchair dreamers, right? I am loving the look of the new modern quilts and have embraced lots of clean white backgrounds and gray as neutral in my latest quilts. Linda

Thank you for sharing the lovely pictures with us. It looks like it was so much fun. Sadly, I wasn't able to attend this year, but I hope to make it there next time. I've already been stalking the QuiltCon website for details on the next event....no postings on it yet.!

I didn't go this year, but maybe next year if the timing and location is right! I currently use these beautiful fabrics to make dresses and skirts for my daughters. I am hoping to take up quilting soon!

I got to go on Sunday and it was wonderful. Really did not know what to expect but it was great! Love the whole thing. I am a traditional quilter but I loved looking at the quilts and brights! Made me look at things so much differently. So glad that I went! Did not get to make any lectures but loved the demos on the floor! A great Day! I would not have gone if I had not heard about it in one of your emails!

Since Texas isn't vey close to Wisconsin, I did not attend this year's QuiltCon - but I got a chance to see and be inspired by your pictures (and those posted on other blogs as well)! Thanks for the give away!